Freight bracing apparatus



6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO Oct. 6, 1964 J. P. MooRHEAD ETAL FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1965 Il] lll Oct. 6, 1964 .1. P. MooRHEAD ETAL 3,151,572

FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1963 @MMI Oct. 6, 1964 J. P. MooRHEAD ETAL FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 22 1963 Oct. 6, 1964 J. P. MooRHEAD ETAL 3,151,572

FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 22. 1963 var/vans! Oct. 6, 1964 J. P. MOQRHEAD ETAL 3,151,572

FREIGHT BRAcxNG APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 22 1963 llll .A .HNHHWMIHMH WANN?. l :j y i M m W wf@ m y 4 /i .ai fd if j g HH HHH H H- HUH.

l /Ali Oct. 6, 1964 .1.P. MooRHEAD ETAL.

FREIGHT BRACING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 22, 1963 if ax/vz/s.'

United States Patent O FPlce 3,15,572 FREI'G'- BRAClNG AFFAHATUS John P. Moorhead and Jackson A. Shook, Northville,

Mich., assignors to Evans Products Company, Plymoutil, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mm. 2'2, 1963, Ser. No. 267,155 Claims. (Cl. ldd-3o?) The present invention relates to freight bracing apparatus and more particularly, to such apparatus of the type generally lcnown as side wall fillers.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an im roved side wall filler adapted to be permanently mounted on the side wall of a railway freight car or truck bod or other wall cooperating in dening a freight receiving chamber where it is desired to employ the side wall filler to take up space between the freight or merchandise and the side wall.

It is m object of the present invention to provide an improved side wall ller of the above mentioned type which may be readily moved between a stored position, in which itis disposed clos-ely adjacent the side wall, and a plurality of operative positions in which it is disposed parallel to and at selected desired distances from the side wall.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a side wal ller which may be readily installed, which is easy to operate, or move between its various possible positions, and which may be economically manufacitured.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a side wall filler of the above mentioned type having irnproved means for mounting it on the side wall and holding itin its various positions of adjustment.

Other and more detailed objects of the present invention will be apparent to those slthled in the art from a consideration of the following specilication, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a broken perspective view of a portion of the interior of a railway boxcar showing side Wall fillers constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on a side wall thereof and disposed in different adjusted positions;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged broken elevational view taken from the interior of the boxcar and looking at side wall iillers mounted on a side wall of the boxcar;

FIGURE 3 is a broken transverse sectional View of a portion of the boxcar taken yabove and looking down on side Wall hers mounted along one side wall ofthe boxeur and showing the various positions of adjustment of the side Wall fillers;

FIGURE 4 is a broken elevational view looking at the structure illustrated in FIGURE 3 from the interior of the boxcar;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged broken sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 2 taken substantially along the line 5 5 thereof;

FIGURE. 6 is `a. broken enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 2 taken substantially along the line 6 5 thereof and showing in broken lines two other adjusted positions of the side wall ller;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 6 taken substantially along the line 7--7 thereof;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are broken sectional views of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 7 taken substantially along the lines 8 8 and 9--9 thereof, respectively;

FIGURE l0 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 6 taken substantially along the line lll-lt) thereof;

FIGURES ll and l2 are broken sectional views of 3,151,572 Patented Oct. 6, 1954 the structure illustrated in FIGURE 10 taken substantially along the lines ll-l and IZ-l?. thereof;

FIGURE 13 is a broken enlarged sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 7 and taken substantially along the line 13:*13 thereof and showing associated structure in broken lines;

FIGURES 14 and l5 are broken enlarged sectional views of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 2 and taken substantially along lines it-llt and 3 5-l5 thereof, respectively;

FIGURE I6 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE l5 taken substantially along the line 'i6-i6 thereof; and,

FIGURE 17 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE i6 taken substantially along the line 17-17 thereof.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG- URES l through 4, inclusive, thereof, the side wall filler of the pres-ent invention is herein illustrated and described in an illustrative but not in la limiting sense, as installed in la railway boxcar generally indicated at 2! and comprising 'a floor 22, spaced side walls 24 and 26, roof structure 28 and an end wall The car includes conventional doorposts 32 defining door openings closed by doors Se. The side wall fillers of the present invention are generally indicated at 3o and in the preferred embodiment illustrated are shown as mounted on the side wall 26.

The side wall hller S6 generally comprises a panel 38 which, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, is formed of a ilat sheet of plywood which is movable as hereinafter described between a plurality of positions, in each of which the panel disposed panallel to and is connected to the side wall 26. The inner fa of the panel, that is, the face remote from the adjacent side wall 26 is adatped to engage and support freight or merchandise. The panel is provided With a pair of spaced feet 40 mounted on Ithe outer face thereof and extending downwardly from the lower edge of the panel and carrying a roller 4Z at the bottom thereof for supporting the panel on the floor 22 for easy rolling movement between its operative positions (see FIGURE 6). The side Wall liller 36 of the present invention also includes Athree vertically spaced anchor strips 44 which extend horizontally along the side wall 26 and, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, are welded to the Z-shaped vertically disposed structural elements 46 forming a part of the side wall 26. The panel 3S is permanently connected to the anchor strips 44 by a tachinent assemblies generally indicated at 48. In the preferred embodiment illustrated there are three of these 'attachment assemblies, all of which are identical and accordingly, only one of these assemblies will be described in detail. Each includes leaves Sti, 52 and 54. Li each of these attachment assemblies 4S there is a single large upper leaf 5l) which extends laterally of the panel 33 substantially the full distance between a pair of elongated vertioally extending guide strips 55 of hat-shaped cross section, as best shown in FIGURE 7, which are secured to the outer face of the panel 33 in spaced relation to the vertical edges thereof. This leaf 50 is formed of sheet metal with downwardly turned flanges 56 (see FIG- URE 7 at its opposite sides for structural strength and `each leaf 5l) is pivotally connected to an anchor strip 44 by a pair of hinf'es 58. At the edge remote from the hinges 5S the leaf 59 is connected to the panel 3S for pivotal and sliding movement relative thereto by journal brackets el) mounted adjacent the corners of the leaf 59. These journal portions 62 pivotaliy receive pins 64 carried in pin brackets 66 which are Welded or otherwise suitably secured to tying strips 68. These strips extend vertically yalon g the outer face of t Ae panel 3S and are slid-ably retained under the adjacent flanges 7i) of the guide strips 55. The vertical spacing of the pin brackets do ou the tying strips 68 corresponds to the vertical spacing of the anchor strips 44 so that the large leaves El? are maintained in parallel relation to each other.

Each of the attachment assemblies 48 also includes a pair of extensible leaves 54 which are spaced laterally of the panel 38. These leaves 54 are disposed to underlie the large leaf 50 inwardly of the flanges 56 at the opposite ends thereof and support the leaf 50 when it is in the horizontalrpc-sition illustrated and hereinafter described. The construction of the extensible leaf 54 is best illustrated in FIGURES l0, 1l and l2, in which it will be seen that theleaf 54 includes a U-shaped wire frame 72 having a pair of legs 7 4 and a web portion 7 6 which extends through a journal portion '7S of a journal plate 3l) welded or otherwise suitably secured to an anchor str-ip 44. The extensible leaf 54 4also includes a sheet metal section 82 which has its edge portions y84 folded partially about the legs 74 of the wire frame 72, as bestV illustrated in FIGURE ll. The sheet metal section 82 also includes journal portions 86 which are folded completely about :the legs 7 4, as best illustrated in FIGURE 12 and which engage offset end portions `S3 of the legs '74 to provide a positive stop limiting the extension of the leaf 54. The sheet metal section B2 is pivotally connected to the outer face of the panel 38 for pivotal movement about an axis fixed relative to the panel 38h51 a pivot pin 90 which extends through a pair Y of aligned journal or loop portions $2 integrally formed on the sheet metal section S2 and disposed intermediate and aligned with journal portions Q4 of the hinge leaves 96 secured to the outer .tace of the panel 3S.

Each of the attachment assemblies 43 also include-s a pair of intermediate leaves 52 which are formed ot sheet metal with downwardly turned side anges adapted to lit over the extensible leaf S4 `as illustrated in FIGURE 7. Each of Vthe intermediate leaves 52 is pivotally mounted on the large leaf V5) by a hinge 98 mounting the leaf Si) on the anchor strip 44. The intermediate leaves 52 at the edge thereof remote from the hinges 98 has a reversely turned flange portion 166 extending therealong to provide a smooth outer surface adapted to abut the outer face of the panel 38.

Referring `to FIGURE 6, it will now be appreciated that with the extensible leaves 54 in their minimum length .position there illustrated in full lines, the leaves 54 hold'the panel 38 against movement toward the side Wall 26. When the panel 38 is moved out to the position Y shown in broken lines and indicated rat 132, the intermediate leaves 52 have dropped down to a horizontal position in which they overlie and are supported on the extensible leaves 54 Iand in this position the intermediate leaves 52 prevent-movement of the panel 38 tou/'ard the side wall 26.r In the other position indicated in broken lines and indicated bythe reference character 104, the panel 3S is at its maximum distance `from the side Wall 26 and the large leaves 5t) have moved down to a horizontal position in which :they overlie the Vintermediate leaves 52 and the extensible leaves 54 and are supported by the latter, and

in this position these leaves 59 hold the panel 3S against movement toward the side Wall 26. Y

rIhe panel 3S is releasably locked in each of the three positions illustrated lin FIGURE 6 by the lock mechanism 106 V,illustrated in FlGURES 14through 17, inclusive.

Thislocl; mechanismy 1% ,comprises a channel-shaped housing 108, one end of which is pivotally supported on the intermediate one of the anchor strips 44 intermediatey the hinges 58,by a hinge 110. At its opposite or free end the channel-shaped housing 198 has a short portion ofV its anges brought together and welded as indicated at 112 to provide a ixed stop 114 facing the hinged end Vof the housing 198. A latch strip 116 extends into the open free end of the channel-shaped housing 163 and has longitudinally spaced shoulder portions 11S, 129 and 122 selectively engageable vwith the fixed stop 114 of the housingj118. flhe latch strip 116 is welded to a push rodY 124 which is mounted in an anchor plate 126 secured FIGURE 13.

to the outer face of the panel 38 so asy to permit the push rod 24 to move longitudinally in the anchor plate 126 and to pivot relative thereto.

The push -rod 124 has an enlarged head 12S which supports one end of a coil spring 139 which surrounds the push rod 124 and acts between the head 128 and the adjacent edge of the anchor plate 126. It will now be seen that the spring 130, through the push rod 124, holds the latch strip 116 in the position illustrated in FIG- URE 16, but permits it to be moved by the operator upon pushing the push rod 124 upwardly, as there illustrated,` Y

or to the rleft as viewed in FIGURE 2, so as to move the latch strip 116 out of engagement with the-stop 114. The shoulder portions 11S, 120 and 122 on the latch strip 116 are so spaced that when Ithe panel 38 is in the position illustrated in full lines in FIGURE 6, the shoulder 118 will be in engagement with the stop 114 to hold the panel against movement away Vfrom the side wall 26 and similarly, when the panel 38 is in the broken line position indicated aft 1&2, the shoulder 12) will be in engagement with the stop 114 and when the panel is in the position indicated at 184, the shoulder 122 will be in engagement with the stop 114.

VIn addi-tion to the three operative positions illustrated in FIGURE 6, the side wall filler 36 may be moved tothe stored position illustrated in FIGURE 5 and it will be seen that in moving from they position illustrated-in full lines in FIGURE 6, to the stored position of FIGURE 5, the panel 3S must be raised because the leaves 54 must pivot upwardly from the horizontal position illustrated in FIGURE 6 to a vertical position. VThe/panel 38 is held the stored position illustrated in FIGURE 5 by a pair of hangers 132 in the form of generally reotangula'rlyshaped closed wire elements, the opposite side portions 134 of which are generally S-shaped as illustrated in to prevent the hanger 132 from pivoting downwardly.

about its pivotal connection with the bracket 136 beyond the position illustra-ted in `FIGURE. 13 so that, as the panel is moved to the stored position illustrated in FIG- URE 5, the khanger 132 is disposed in the position illustrated in FGURE 13 land adapted to be hooked over supports 142 provided on the anchor strips 44. In the preferred embodiment illustrated there are four such hanger elements 132 mounted on each panel 38 and disposed to engage supports 142 provided on the upper and intermediate anchor strips 44.

The lowermost attachment assembly 4S carriesV a plywood iiller strip 144 extending across the bottom of the extensible leaves 54 thereof and secured thereto by screws 145 extending through apertures provided in the sheet It will now be appreciated that the above described side A Wall llcr may be readily moved from the stored position k'illustrated in FIGURE 5 to the operative position illustrated in full lines in FIGURE 6, by grasping the panel 38 by means-of hand-holds 148 and 15% provided for this purpose and raising the panel to lift the hangers 132 olf of the supports 142-and swinging the panel 3S outwardly v and downwardly from the side Wall. When theV panel reaches the full line position illustrated in FIGURE 6, the lock mechanism 166 is in the position illustrated in FIG- URE 16 and holds the panel against Ymovement away from the side wall and the leaves 54 hold it against movement toward the side wall. The operator may move the panel to the position 1192 illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 6 by engaging the push rod head 128 through the panel The hanger elements are secured to the n aperture 152 and moving the latch strip alle to move the shoulder 11E out of engagement with the stop lid, permitting him to pull the panel away from the wall while it is supported on the rollers When the panel reacl es ythe position lfd?. the intermediate leaves 52 have dropped into horizontal position and the shoulder l2@ has moved into engagement with the stop lid by again moving the push rod 124. The operator may release the lock mechanism and move the panel out to the position lil-4 in which the large leaves 59 have dropped into horizontal position and the shoulder 122 has moved into engagement with the stop 115i. To insure that the leaves Si? are fully down, the operator may place his foot on the end thereof adjacent the panel to press the lowermost leaf 5@ fully down and through the tying strips and the leaves E9 of the intermediate and upper attachment assemblies will also be pulled into their final horizontal position.

While only one specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail herein, it will be readily appreciated hy those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

What claimed is:

1. A side wall filler for use in a freight receiving chamber defined in part by a floor and a side wall, said side wall filler comprising a panel disposed parallel to said side wall and adapted to engage freight, means on said panel adapted to support said panel on said floor, a plurality of attachment assemblies connecting said panel to said side wall for movement between a stored position in which said panel is disposed closely adjacent to said side wall and a plurality of operative positions each spaced a diderent distance from said side wail, each of said attachment assemblies including an anchor strip extending along and secured to said side wall and a plurality of leaves individual to said operative positions and each adapted in one position of said panel to extend horizontally between said panel and said side wall to support said panel against movement toward said side wall and each of said lea es being connected to said anchor strip for pivotal movement relative thereto, locking means connected between one of said anchor strips and said panel and adjustable for selectively and releasably locking said panel in each of said operative positions against movemeut therefrom in a direction away from said side wall, and co-operating means on at least one of said anchor strips and on said panel for releasably holding said panel in said stored posidon.

2. A side wall filler as dened in claim 1 wherein said first named means includes a roller adapted to engage the floor and support the panel thereon for rolling movement between said operative positions.

3. A side Wall filler as defined in claim l wherein one of said leaves is connected to said panel for pivotal movement about an axis Xed relative to said panel and is extensible from a minimum length corresponding to the one of said operative positions in which said panel is closest to said side wall to a maximum length corresponding to the one of said operative positions in which said Cil panel is farthest from said side wall, and another of said leaves is of a fixed length substantially equal to said maximum length of said one leaf and is connected to said panel for pivotal movement relative thereto and for slid ng movement vertically therealong.

4. A side wall filler as defined in claim 3 including at least one leaf intermediate said one and said another of said leaves and disposed to horizontally overlie said extensible leaf when said panel is in one of said operative positions intermediate said closest position and said farthest position and to support said panel against movement therefrom in a direction toward said side wall.

5. A side wall filler as defined in claim 4 wherein said intermediate leaf has a free edge which abuts said panel when said panel is in said intermediate position and is spaced therefrom when said panel is in said farthest position.

6. A side wall filler as defined in claim 3 including means mounted on said panel and connected between said attachment assemblies so that the said sliding movement of the said another leal of each attachment assembly is substantially the same.

7. A side wall h ller as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said attachment assemblies includes a pair of said extensible leaves spaced laterally of said panel and said cooperating means is disposed intermediate Said pair of extensible leaves.

8. A side wall filler as dened in claim 4 wherein said intermediate leatis hinged to said fixed length leaf for pivotal movement about an axis substantially coaxial with the axis of pivotal movement of said lined length leaf relative to said anchor strip.

9. A side wall ller as defined in claim l wherein said locking means includes an elongated latch housing pivotally mounted on one of said anchor strips and having a stop surface facing along said housing toward said anchor strip, an elongated latch strip having a plurality of latching shoulders spaced therealong, said latch strip being telescopically received in said housing for movement longitudinally and transversely thereof for selectively moving said latching shoulders into engagement with said stop surface, and means mounting said latch strip on said panel for pivotal movement relative thereto and for movement transversely of said housing.

10. A side wall Eller as deihled in claim l wherein said co-operating means comprises upwardly extending supports on at least one of said anchor strips, keeper elements mounted on said panel and adapted to engage said supports to hold said panel in said stored position and cooperating means on said keeper elements and on said panel holding said keeper elements in position to engage said supports.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,953,545 Campbell et al June 19, 1934 2,819,810 De Witt Ian. 14, 1958 2,885,221 Weeks May 5, 1959 

1. A SIDE WALL FILLER FOR USE IN A FREIGHT RECEIVING CHAMBER DEFINED IN PART BY A FLOOR AND A SIDE WALL, SAID SIDE WALL FILLER COMPRISING A PANEL DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE WALL AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE FREIGHT, MEANS ON SAID PANEL ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID PANEL ON SAID FLOOR, A PLURALITY OF ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLIES CONNECTING SAID PANEL TO SAID SIDE WALL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A STORED POSITION IN WHICH SAID PANEL IS DISPOSED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID SIDE WALL AND A PLURALITY OF OPERATIVE POSITIONS EACH SPACED A DIFFERENT DISTANCE FROM SAID SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING AN ANCHOR STRIP EXTENDING ALONG AND SECURED TO SAID SIDE WALL AND A PLURALITY OF LEAVES INDIVIDUAL TO SAID OPERATIVE POSITIONS AND EACH ADAPTED IN ONE POSITION OF SAID PANEL TO EXTEND HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN SAID PANEL AND SAID SIDE WALL TO SUPPORT SAID PANEL AGAINST MOVEMENT TOWARD SAID SIDE WALL AND EACH OF SAID LEAVES BEING CONNECTED TO SAID ANCHOR STRIP FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, LOCKING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN ONE OF SAID ANCHOR STRIPS AND SAID PANEL AND ADJUSTABLE FOR SELECTIVELY AND RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID PANEL IN EACH OF SAID OPERATIVE POSITIONS AGAINST MOVEMENT THEREFROM IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID SIDE WALL, AND CO-OPERATING MEANS ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ANCHOR STRIPS AND ON SAID PANEL FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID PANEL IN SAID STORED POSITION. 